Reviewers play an essential role in the journals and books of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). They elevate quality and help authors and editors to improve the content, organization, logic, integrity, and impact of published papers.

We had several reviewers who provided more than 15 reviews just for AGU over the course of the year.Once again, AGU recognizes reviewers across all our journals who provided exceptional reviews during the past year; outstanding reviewers for 2015 are listed below. Many of these, and other reviewers also, reviewed multiple times; we had several reviewers who provided more than 15 reviews just for AGU over the course of the year.

AGU provides other recognition as well to reviewers: Each AGU journal is publishing an editorial acknowledging all of its reviewers, and AGU now officially recognizes their reviews on their Open Researcher and Contributor Identification (ORCID) record, if requested.

Appreciation for Reviews and More

We hope that these multiple forms of acknowledgement and appreciation of reviewers provide both individual thanks and prominent collective recognition of the importance of peer reviews in advancing science. Reviewing for journals represents just one way in which many scientists provide additional effort and benefit for their scientific community and society overall. Many of these same AGU reviewers also assess grants, advise on promotions, and contribute to departmental reviews for their home institutions or others.

Expanding Reviewer Diversity

We consider it important for the scholarly community to recognize this full picture and find ways to better reward these volunteer contributions while improving efficiency. AGU editors have been striving to expand the diversity of reviewers as one way to make efficiency gains as well as to help develop new scientists. AGU journals receive and publish papers from authors worldwide—about one-third of submissions come from each of North America, Europe, and Asia/Australasia. In keeping with our move toward greater diversity, we recognize this year reviewers from 19 countries, including about 30% women—up in both measures from earlier years.

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